Peter Reid makes Everton relegation prediction, admits ‘cold sweats’ thinking about it
Everton legend Peter Reid thinks Frank Lampard will keep the club in the Premier League, but has admitted getting ‘cold sweats’ when looking at the fixture list.
The Toffees suffered yet another defeat to Wolves at the weekend which means they now sit outside the relegation zone only on goal difference with 12 games remaining.
But speaking to The Athletic, Reid says he is ‘sure’ that new boss Lampard will be able to keep the team in the top flight and then sort out the mess the club has created behind the scenes.
“David Moyes left a solid base when he went. Roberto Martinez used that, but we just fell away and since then we’ve never really been at the races. There’s been directors of football, coaches, money spent, but for whatever reason something is wrong.
“Everton have had a lot of money, not far behind Manchester City and United in what has been spent. And it hasn’t been good. It needs to be sorted out.
“I’m sure Frank will keep us up and he will sort that out.
“Well, this is a big game and, as we speak, I feel that. But I keep looking at the fixtures and getting a cold sweat. I did it yesterday and I did it again this morning.”
Trouble
Regardless of whether or not Everton stay in the Premier League this summer, the behind the scenes stuff needs sorting sooner rather than later.
We saw a divide in the board when Rafa Benitez was brought in last summer despite many members not wanting him at the club due to his Liverpool ties.
Owner Farhad Moshiri has taken advice since, with Lampard the unanimous choice in the end to replace Benitez, but the performances have failed to live up to expectations.
The problems at the club remain. There is no identity, no philosophy and the club were just hoping that throwing names and money at the problem would solve it.
That hasn’t been the case and now as they enter the final run-in with five of the current top seven still to play in their final 12 fixtures, they run the very real risk of a first relegation in 68 years.
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